Attendance

Your child’s attendance is extremely important because it is directly linked to their progress. As a school we expect all students to achieve an attendance level of at least 97% in every school year which equates to around six days' absence, therefore it is imperative that absences are kept to an absolute minimum.

The information below tells you what you should do if your child is absent from school:

Absence Procedure

If your child is going to be absent from school you must inform the school office before 9.30am on 01484548049. If your child's absence is not reported to us then it will be recorded as unauthorised. If you know in advance that your child is going to be absent from school, please inform the office as soon as you can.

Examples of authorised absences:

hospital or orthodontist appointment (evidence required - see below for examples)
emergency doctor or dentist appointment - routine appointments must be made outside of school hours
funeral/wedding (one day only)
reported illness - the school may ask for medical evidence

Please note that medication can be held and administered in school so that your child can still be in attendance. Please refer to our Administration of Medication in School policy for more details.

Types of medical evidence (this must be taken to the school office):

Medical appointment card / letter
Copy of prescription showing name and date.
Prescribed medication with pharmacist label showing name and date.
Unfit for school declaration from GP.
Hospital discharge letter.

Examples of unauthorised absences:

leave of absence not approved by the school i.e. holiday requests
absence NOT reported on the day or explained upon return to school.
arriving late after registers have closed.
truancy
routine doctor or dentist appointments

Penalty Notices

Section 444 (A) of the Education Act 1996, empowers the local authority to issue Penalty Notices in cases of unauthorised absence from school. Under the national rules introduced from the August 2024, all schools are required to consider a fine when a child has missed 10 or more sessions (5 days) for unauthorised reasons.

From August 2024, the fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days. This rate is in line with inflation and is the first increase since 2012. In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.

Fines per parent will be capped to two fines within a three year period. Once this limit has been reached, other action like a parenting order or prosecution will be considered.

If you're prosecuted and attend court because your child hasn't been attending school, you could get a fine of up to £2,500. Money raised via fines is used by the local authority to cover the costs of administrating the system and to fund attendance support. Any additional money is returned to the government; this money does not go to Greenacres in any way.

Why is as close to 100% attendance as possible so important?

Research is increasingly showing that attendance at all ages is incredibly important and is directly related to student success. According to a recent study, it was found that when students are absent during primary school they perform lower academically in both primary and secondary school. This is true regardless of gender or ethnicity. To give your children the very best start to life it is crucial that they attend school every day.

attendance policy 26 28 v3.pdf